Living and Loving It
by Cheetotheshynerd
Summary: A series of moments in the lives of Lars and Sadie.


Sadie's favorite type of flower is a sunflower. Why? It reminds her of sunny things. It's in both the name and the look. They just look like the essence of smiles and happiness and sunshine. Also, she can't deny that she likes the seeds. Visiting her Aunt and Uncle's farm, there was always a bag of them along with a Styrofoam cup to spit the shells out into. They got the seeds straight from the raised bed they had by the farmhouse. From that bed they also grew sunflower sprouts, which Sadie also enjoyed munching on. Once upon a time, when Sadie was barely taller than a foal, she was munching on a few while watching her older cousin paint the sunflowers. They were just so vibrant and beautiful. That's probably why she got so distracted that she forgot to watch where she was stepping and ended up with a shoe full of ants.

Sunflowers make Sadie happy.

One bright morning, Sadie was smiling at the sun just above the horizon. Her imagination sprouted bright yellow petals around it and burnt up the star until it looked like the dark brown pit of seeds in the center of the flower and it rose in the sky and lit up the day. She had to look away eventually, though, to protect her precious eyesight. When she did turn back to the sidewalk, she was at the Big Donut. Pulling the key from her pocket, she unlocked the back door and dropped her bag off in the back before prepping the shop for opening. She hardly noticed until she'd already opened up that Lars was late. It wasn't exactly an unusual event, but it was still annoying. Sighing, she decided to ignore it and opened a drawer behind the counter that she and Lars had stocked with entertainment. There multiple sketchbooks, most of them filled cover-to-cover with tic-tac-toes and hangman setups that they'd battled on. A few pages here and there displayed the little game Lars made up where they both pick something to draw and take turns drawing one line of it at a time until its complete. Some games they played didn't need to be written on paper such as their storytelling games. There was Fortunately and Unfortunately where you start with a character and the first person says something good that happens and the next person says something bad that happens and so on. The Word Game was easier, but not as fun. Both players would create a sentence by taking turn saying one word at a time. Usually when the shop was less crowded, they would play the Loud Game where one person would say a word and the next person would have to say it louder than the last until someone refuses. Sadie shuffled around through filled-out Madlibs and old Rock Paper Scissors score sheets until she found a way to spend her time: a stack of small, decorated papers and a thin book titled _How To Origami_.

Lars doesn't have a favorite flower. That's what everyone else thinks because he claims flowers are dumb. If you told him he had to pick, he would hesitantly say that hydrangeas were cool. His grandmother, a landscaper, had loads of them in her front yard. When he was younger, he was always fascinated with the gigantic leaves and seeing the bush outside the kitchen window of his home he allows himself to smile when he knows no one's watching.

As he walked to work, the sky was clouding and raindrops dropped here and there, barely a drizzle. On the sidewalk they fell and spread out to form petal-like shapes that looked like the scattered remains of a torn up hydrangea. In his mind, he saw the petals coming back together and forming one full bush of hydrangeas. He imagined how they might look outside the Big Donut. Maybe not blue or purple ones, but the pink and green ones would look nice.

He came in through the back and put his bag on the hook next to Sadie's and went out front to see her sitting at the counter with a crumpled up piece of paper. When she turned to greet him, he saw it wasn't crumpled up at all, but folded in a manner of strange ways. The trashcan beneath the counter was full of actual crumpled up papers. When he saw the origami book, he understood and snickered, but said nothing. It was too early in the morning for him to say much.

Mornings were always like this. Quiet in the comfortable way.

Sadie put away the origami stuff and, knowing that Lars probably didn't have breakfast at home, pulled a couple of donuts out and went to go get sodas from the fridge. She knew Lars would want an energy drink, but grabbed him an orange juice instead because her mom is always complaining about how unhealthy they are and it rubbed off on her. He frowns when he sees it, but rolls his eyes and takes it anyway. Sadie pays for his half because she also knows Lars forgot his wallet and tells him he can eat in the back while she takes care of the morning rush as long as he agrees to do inventory. He agrees purely because he's too tired to care about how mad future Lars will be about that agreement and nudges her in his own sort of 'thank you' as he leaves the counter.

"Your welcome." She replied and Lars stopped for a moment to look back at her. She was now watching the storefront, munching on her own donut, a strawberry glazed chocolate. Sadie was remarkable.

With this thought in his head, he headed into the back and sat at their break table to eat his donut, which he discovered to be his favorite; triple chocolate with caramel drizzle. Again, he looked at Sadie from the back through the display case. Could she read his mind or something. It was a little weird, but mostly cool. She knew him almost more than he knew himself. She always seemed to know when he forgot things and why he was late for work. She always won games like Psychic or Pool Categories. One time, she finished the last ten words of his sentence. You'd think she was his twin if she wasn't half his height, round, and blond.

There were certain things, of course, that she didn't know about him. Like, for example, the fact that he participated in the gardening club at his high school for a week before quitting; how his father is Philippine and his mother American; how he was prescribed anti-depressants at the age of 13; how he hates passing by the Frymans' shop while they're walking home together, more especially when Ronaldo is working the counter or is anywhere within visual range. Well…to be honest she probably already knows that last one from his constant angry muttering as they walk by and how, when Ronaldo stops them to say hi, his greeting comes back more like a hiss.

Still, she's pretty good at basic friend things, the kind of things you'd see on a-wait, that's it!

Sadie's favorite book genre is adventure/comedy because hearing a joke in the middle of some magical quest to save the princess from a bearded unicorn that breaths fire or whatever is always the best. Laughter is, in her opinion, the best medicine. It makes everyone happier. It's one of the reasons Lars and he became friends. Working at the Big Donut when they'd only just met was dull and always entailed that the day would be long and slow and agonizing. Then, Lars seemed to just…get tired of the silence and tapped her on the shoulder. He told her to focus on the old business man outside the woman. When she heard him start imitating what he thought the man's voice would sound like, Sadie cracked up and Lars just kept doing it with loads of others that day. After a while of joking around they started having an actual conversation, which was a little awkward for both parties, which they soon learned to be that they were both socially awkward. Once they became one another's only friend, coming to work suddenly felt more like having a sleepover with a friend than a chore.

She likes reading adventure/comedies became they make her smile (and laugh, of course) in memory of the start of their friendship.

She was currently re-reading one of her favorite graphic novels of this genre, biting her lip with a small smile as the story got more intense, yet was still constantly interrupted with funny bits that had her giggling. After a quick bout of ladder, she gets a weird feeling and spots something in her peripheral vision. She closed the book to look at Lars, who stood at the edge of the counter. When he had her attention, he jumped, cleared his throat and started speaking.

Lars' favorite book genre is…well Lars doesn't read books. All his favorite comic books, however, have a very similar theme of sci-fi. Ever since he was kid, really, space has fascinated him. It's just so big and promising and not Earth. On Earth he feels under pressure, but space is just so empty there'd be in 'we're in public.' There is no 'public' in space. He'd be free.

Lars' childhood dream was to be an astronaut under his ass of a _SECOND_ GRADE teacher, who he recently learned was arrested for coming into work intoxicated, told him to be realistic and that he could never actually accomplish it. "Besides," He told the young, innocent child named Laramie, "Every kid your age wants to be an astronaut. Be a little different, why don't you. Or are you too stupid to get that in your brain? Either I'm a terrible teacher or you're just that much of a hopeless pinhead." Lars went home crying that day, sent home early by the counselor. The dream died there. Now he doesn't really know what he wants to do with his life at all. He just stopped thinking about it and never got back to it.

All he thinks about now is working at the Big Donut with Sadie because it's the first job he's ever had. It's comfortable. Being friends with her helps out a lot. He's never thought about it, but he's really lucky to have her specifically as a friend and not some other random person on the street. Sadie's really nice. She helps him with personal conflicts, homework, work, and just about anything else. It can get a little annoying at times, but she is very helpful. She's also nice to talk to. She's always saying things that make him snicker and retort. There's hardly ever a dull second with her there.

And, you know, well…

Sadie's pretty cute. Lars convinced himself recently that friends can think of other friends as cute without it being romantic, but he'll never say anything about it out loud.

Yeah, Sadie's pretty. Her hair is so curly and poofy. Lars sometimes pokes it when she not looking and, if she notices, he laughs it off by snickering that her hair reminds him a sheep.

She had beautiful eyes, dark and smooth like little mini universes. When he looks at them he feels like he's in space and everything starts to feel to familiar and homey.

She doesn't have a bad shape either. She's plump, which he likes considering how well it works with her other features. She has a good-sized chest with wide hips that compliment her weight very well. Her limbs are all chubby, short, and pretty adorable to be honest. He's pretty sure she wouldn't appreciate him just holding her forearm for the sake of holding it because he loves the shape of it.

Her height is probably the best thing, especially in comparison to his. She's just so damn short. It's adorable how it takes her, like, three strides to catch up with him after one normal step. He sometimes goes fast on purpose just to mess with her. She hates it and he loves that she hates it. One time, they were in Funland and he got down on his knees, put his shoes in front of them to match her height, claiming, "Hey, we're twins!" She pushed him so hard he fell off the dock and into the ocean. In the panic of the situation, he grabbed her leg and she fell in with him. They were laughing on the shore a few minutes later.

She's also got muscles, he can't lie. That girl could probably take out a dozen grown men blindfolding. He'll never say a word about it to anyone, but her popping open that sardine actually made his heart jump a little.

But his favorite thing about her is her face. She's got this cute button of a nose and a smile like nothing he'd ever seen. When Sadie smiles, her cheeks push her eyes shut and make little crescent moons out of them and her dimples are revealed. Her cheeks, so round and squeezable, blush a little and a few teeth are shown through. Lars sometimes thinks about how bad her cheeks would hurt if she volunteered at the nursing home. Regardless, they're beautiful and compliment her.

And then there's that little scar on her cheek. This one little detail is what fascinates him the most. Mostly because he saw it when it was in its prime, a bleeding gash in her skin. How it changed from scar, to scab, to faint, white line was just, interesting to him.

Overall, Sadie is beautiful. Lars remembers this when he turns to corner with an article up on his phone to find her snorting like a dork at some book she was reading. Instead of clearing his throat as he'd planned to show her his discovery, he stopped to look at her for a moment, basking in her presence. The way she slouched in her laughter almost made him smile. He almost doesn't see her turn to look at him in confusion, but when he does his insides jump like scared cats and he starts nervously, "Hey, Sades. I…um…found something we could try doing."

She makes he interest known with a raise of the brows and a smile as she turns to see the screen of his phone as he sits next to her on his stool.

"It's this, like, _How Well Do You Know Your Friend_ Quiz. I thought it'd be a cool time-waster. Wanna try it?"

"Sure!" She replies happily.

"Cool, cool." He nods and pulls it up. "First Question, Favorite color?"

Sadie's favorite music genre is pop. Or at least she thinks it is. She hates to love them. The lyrics are just so cheesy and always seem to make out the world to be something it's not. Half the famous pop stars she listens to she hates because they're more like Barbie dolls than real people. The music itself isn't half bad…if it's played on piano only. The computer-synthesized noises people make out to be music bother her. It just doesn't sound…natural. In most songs, the voices sound so obviously edited that she's practically tearing her hair out listening to them. It's not like this with all pop songs, but usually the popular ones fall in this category. Also, what's the deal with almost all existing songs focusing on love?

But they're agonizingly catchy and she can't help tapping her foot. And when she taps her foot, she pays attention to the lyrics. And when she pays attention to the lyrics, she starts singing along. And that's how she knows all the lyrics to most pop songs existing. She likes other songs, but they're all in scattered categories, too scattered to call one genre her favorite. So, because pop songs are the ones she gets stuck in her head, they're her go-to answer, because she doesn't know what else to say.

Lars, however, does have a favorite. She answers the question with ease when it comes up in the quiz he has her take.

Lars' favorite music genre is a mix of rock & roll, a few metal songs, and some alternatives. He also gets pop songs stuck in his head, but he knows where his faith lies. His favorite songs of all, though, would be bits and pieces of the Star Wars theme song and some of Jurassic Park. His cousins used to be really into it. Drake, who started piano lessons at age four, used to play the Star Wars theme to show off whenever Lars' dad took him to visit them in their mansion up in Vermont. His mom never came because…well, his dad's side of the family never liked her all that much. That's why they don't visit them anymore. His dad's more or less cut them out of his life besides Christmas cards. They don't spend holidays with them anymore.

Now they only ever visit his mom's side. Her parents are pretty cool people. Her dad's a gardener, which is how he met the previously mentioned landscaper, who is her mom. When he graduated college, he joined a band. They wrote a lot of Lars' favorites. He really thought it was gonna be his career until the drummer went off to start a family and Lars' grandpa decided it was time he did something similar. He left the band and started pursuing what used to be a mere hobby as a job: gardening. He met up with Dalisay when he was helping plant mulch around the front porch. They moved to the States together and started a _HUGE_ family. He's got four aunts, two uncles (not including those that married into the Barriga family) and he can hardly count all his cousins.

Whenever he visits them, Grandpa Nimuel tells him all these stories about his life, the band, gardening, and so much more. Lars can't help but find everything he says interested, partly because he's hearing from a former rock-star, and mostly because they really are interesting. Lars' grandpa is probably one of the people he knows the best. Lars had been thinking about him ever since the music genre question and as Sadie over and over tells him the answer to the next question, he finally snaps out of it. "Huh?"

"I said that your favorite season is summer." She repeats. "You okay there?"

"Yeah, fine." He says, then grins, "Because that is correct. Now…Have I ever gotten a tattoo without permission and, if so, what is it of?"

"You chickened out because you're scared to death of needles, but it was going to be of a crawfish."

"Hey, I didn't 'chicken out!'" Lars shouted in his defense, arms on the counter. "I just…went a different direction."

"Uh huh." Sadie giggled, rolling her eyes. She's surprised no one's come in yet, but afternoons are usually pretty slow and the morning rush went by pretty quick today.

"Worst fear? No, wait, you just answered that." Lars mumbles, moving on. "Oh! Last one, what are the names of my parents and, if you'd like to add, my last name."

Sadie opened her mouth as though to answer, then closed it. She then told Lars, "Well, I think your mom's name is…Mary, I wanna say? I only met her that one time a year ago when she picked you up from work during that crazy storm but we only got to talk for a couple of seconds and then I've never met your dad. What's up with that? Oh, and your last name is Barriga."

"Martha and Dante Barriga. Close, but not quite there. And…well…I don't know." Lars does know. He even planned it that way. Based on television and stereotypes, he's terrified of his parents embarrassing him in front of others. So he makes sure that whenever Sadie comes over, his parents are either out of the house or asleep. That's why she doesn't visit his place all too often. "Anyway, you got…47 out of 50."

"That was 50 questions? Geez, what kind of test is this?" She asks, laughing, then turns to him expectantly. "Your turn."

"Wha-oh, you want _me_ to do it?" Lars says, hands fiddling with each other uncertainly.

Sadie nods, "Yeah, let's see how well you know me." She looks up at him and picks up on his nervousness. "What?"

"I don't know. I'm just…I'm not good at tests."

"What'd'ya mean?" She asks and the way Lars looks at her, blushes, and then looks at the floor without replying helps her to understand. "You have test anxiety."

His eyes snap back up to her, cheeks red with what seemed to be embarrassment, before he looks back down and holds his arms with a hesitant nod. Sadie offers a little smile, setting a hand on his elbow, causing him to start a little. "This won't be like a school test, Lars. No clocks ticking down or teachers roaming around like they're hunting you down or anything." She reassures him, "It's just you and me. Two friends talking. We don't have to do it if you're not up to it."

Lars stays silent for a beat, looking at her, then purses his lips and nods. He relaxes into his seat to calm himself and they begin.

Sadie's favorite thing to do when she's alone is binge-watch horror movies. No one would expect it from a sweet girl like her, but she loves the thrill of adrenaline and laughing at the obviously fake monsters in some of the older ones. She and Lars almost always watch them on their movie nights at her place. They try to scrounge for ones they haven't seen, but most of the time they just go with tapes from Sadie's collection. Lars will occasionally bring over a sci-fi movie or two to mix things up a bit, but one of their favorite things is to rent a really bad movie on purpose when either of them is in a bad mood and spending the whole night criticizing it. It helps them get their feelings out in a way that they aren't taken out on other people. Also, it's just hilarious to go sound-guy watching.

"Favorite movie genre?" Sadie asks.

Lars, now much more relaxed with the idea in his head that 'this is not a test; it's a conversation,' answers with ease. "Horror."

"What's the first sport I ever played?"

"Well how am I supposed to know that?" He scoffs, "We've never talked about it."

"Yes we have." Sadie grins, tilting her head in his direction with an encouraging gleam in her eyes. "Think."

And he does think. He thinks, clenches his fist, and remembers. Grinning cockily, he shoots a finger gun at her, saying, "Volleyball."

"Nope, but close." Sadie shrugs, still smiling, "My cousins and I used to play soccer when we were only four, which I mentioned when they visited and I introduced you. We didn't play volleyball until that trip to the Californian coast. I was seven and that was my first time playing."

"And you saved 11 out of 17 shots at your side from the other team." He finished for her. "I remember."

"It was 15 out of 17, but that's a start." She nudged him. " _You_ however got 32 out of 50."

"You mad that I don't know you as well as you know me?" He asked nervously.

"Nah. It's just mundane things. We don't talk about ourselves as much as we talk about random stuff and play stupid games. It's no big deal."

"Then how do you know so much about me?" Lars asked.

"You talk about yourself more?" She suggests and giggles at Lars eyes, half-lidded in annoyance. "I don't know. I just…listen I guess? Most of the questions I knew, some I came up with answers for based on subtext and some I just guessed. Like…I assumed your favorite band was The Canned Cops based on the fact that you love rock & roll, you sent me a link to their album, and you went to their show in Empire City and told me all about it after. It's subtext."

"Huh." Lars mumbles to himself. "Alright, well, now that that's over, I challenge you to a game of-"

The bell above the door rang.

"Hello and welcome to the Big Donut. How can we help you?" Sadie interrupted.

I approached Lars' house at a quarter past noon wearing an old, way-too-big, corduroy jacket I found at a garage sale and a tote bag from the grocery store with the recycling symbol on it. The jacket went past my knees, which wasn't much considering my height, but that trait made it perfect for the weather. Its soft, plaid lining warmed me up in the freezing winters of Delmarva. The sleeve draping over my hand, I rang the doorbell. There was some noise behind the door and, a moment later, Lars answered it. He noticed my shivering teeth and dragged me inside and up to his room without a word. It's messier than last time, which was understandable. The first time I came over, he tried a little more, but as time progressed, he realized I didn't particularly care and that my room wasn't much better. The floor is clear, save for a pile of clean laundry in the corner of the room that he hasn't bothered to put away. To my delight, there's a tray of snacks in front of the bean bags, oyster crackers included.

"How was it?" He asks as I take off my jacket and tie it around my waist and I'm immediately aware of what he's referring to.

"Great. Regal Beagle was the prosecutor, so we all knew Biscuit was screwed from the very beginning." I added. He snickers in response, turning on the TV and calibrating the controllers.

"You love that show way too much."

"Impossible." I scoff, nudging his ankle with my foot as I settle down on one of his bean bags. A crunching sound alerts me and I reach under the bean bag to find an open bag of chips. I roll my eyes. He must've just shoved all the trash he could anywhere I wouldn't see it. Still, I'm flattered he at least tried. "A show as underrated as Canine Court can't get enough love."

He tosses me a controller, shrugging, "Whatever you say, Sades. Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?"

"Sure." My comically lackluster answer draws a chuckle from each of us and we commence. "What game is this again?"

He grabbed the game case and showed me the back, explaining, "Concrete Web. It came out last week. It's a horror/mystery game. You and your coworkers are in the middle of a meeting when the power goes off and you have to find a way out of the building before the supposed monster that caused it all finds you. There's also some sort of backstory with the boss you have to figure out that could potentially save everyone. Since it's multiplayer mode, we pick two of the workers and get to follow the story in their shoes. I'm picking Carl because he's got the best strength stats and can bust through doors. What about you?"

"Hmm…" I click through the options; Karen, Pete, Delilah, Amy, Quinn… "How about Cecelia? She's the smartest and can hack the system."

"Sweet. Together our team of everyday business people will be… _unstoppable_." He pauses at the last word dramatically. When I nudge him, we both laugh and return to the game. He clicks the 'Play' button and we set down our controllers to watch the intro. The screen zooms in on our chosen avatars having their lunch break.

"Oh! That reminds me." I pull out my tote bag bump its content between us. "I brought some extra snacks."

"Awesome!" Lars exclaims, ignoring the game to shuffle through the pile. He pulls out a pack of sour gummy worms and a soda. I open up the Family Size Doritos from his snack tray and grab my _Orange Fizz_ from the bag and we lay back to watch the clip.

Probably half an hour later the door opens and Martha pokes her head in. Due to having been at an intense part of the game, Lars screams.

"Oh, sorry, kids." His mother apologizes, "I just wanted to know if you wanted any lunch. Dante's at going out to get tacos."

"Steak and cheese." Lars says, "And please knock next time."

"Sure, and you, honey?"

"Um, I'll have to same." I answer politely. "Thank you, Mrs. Barriga."

"It's my pleasure, sweetie." She leaves and Lars unpauses immediately.

"Your parents are really nice, Lars." I tell him, mostly to calm the tense atmosphere from the game and also because it's true.

"You'd think that, right?" He grumbled. My brows furrow and I look at Lars, confused and concerned. He's glaring at the screen.

"Lars?"

He notices my gaze, blushes and shakes his head. "Never mind, let's just keep playing."

I say nothing, but nod.

I watched the ship disappear in the melting sky, stars appearing as though to cover its tracks.

"STEVEN!" One of his sisters was shouting. I didn't know them well enough to know their names, but she had a pointy nose. "STEVEN, NO!"

"STEVEN!" His friend was shouting as well.

I could only float there in the ocean, staring at where the ship used to be. Was Steven going to be all right? The thought of him, a child, being taken into space by aliens…oh god.

I turn, saying, "Lars, can you…" But Lars isn't there. I look on my other side and he isn't there either. I scan the faces of everyone around me. He isn't there. He's not in the water, he's not in the beach, so…Oh my god.

"Lars?" I whimper in question, turning, terrified, to the sky. Tears spill down my cheeks. "LARS?" He never got off the ship. "LARS!" He ducked down that staircase to hide. He must've missed the cue to leave. "LARS! L-LARS! WHY'D YOU-?" Wherever Steven's going, Lars is going with him. Those people weren't friendly. They had bad intentions. Lars…he could be a jerk sometimes, but he had his moments. And when he did have moments, they were memorable. They were precious attributes to his character. They showed that he was redeemable. He could get better. He could learn to be a better person.

But now…will he even survive long enough to do that?

"Lars…" I sob. Tears blend with the saltwater on my face. I can feel myself being dragged toward shore by the tallest gem. I'm not underwater, but I feel like I can't breath. The uncertainty of whether or not I'll ever see Lars again is suffocating and bleak and makes me wish I'd stayed on that ship with him. We would've both been in danger, then, but at least we'd be together, right? I choke on my own tears, clutching wet sand in my fists as I'm finally set down on the beach.

How did it ever come to this?

I fist nervously at the fabric of my cape, shuffling on my feet as I stare at her from a ways down the beach. She's talking to the Cool Kids, something I'd always aspired to do. Well, I did occasionally, but not the same way she did. Her lips moved with ease with each word, confident and comfortable with all she said. They laughed and she did too. It came so much easier to her than it ever did to me. Whenever I hung out with them, it was like if one of the customers at the Big Donut joined us in the back and had our lunch break with us. I only ever felt like I was intruding, an outcast.

I never felt like I belonged with them. But Sadie…Sadie did. Does that I don't belong with her? Maybe coming back was pointless. Damn, why'd I spend so much effort on it when I was only going to find disappointment? I turn away from the sight, but Steven stops me. He shakes his head and smiles.

"She's missed you, Lars." He tells me. "So much."

"I-" I look at the sand between my boots. "She has."

He nods. "You've gotta go talk to her! She'll be so happy."

I sigh, turn around and march toward them. The closer I get, the more awkward my steps become. Eventually, I'm just shuffling my feet closer. Reuniting with her would mean reuniting with Jenny, Buck, and Sour Cream, but…I wasn't ready to face them. Besides, it'd just make me feel weird. It'd ruin the moment.

I grin when I see them leaving. My window is open. I charge at Sadie with newfound courage. She looks up at the last second, shouting my name. I realize I haven't planned this far ahead and run into her.

"Lars." She gasps. We're flat on our backs on the sand. Seagulls squawk in the distance, like alarm clocks reminding us to get up and seize the moment. Sadie laughs, "Lars!"

She rolls over toward me and I catch her hug in my arms. I press my head into the side of hers, her curls covering the lower half of my face. Both of my hands curl under her arms and press against her upper back. I've missed this. Our hugs were rare, but when they happened, I treasured them for the following week. I've missed her. I sit us up and hug her tighter, when she shifts her head to the crook of my neck, I realize how tight she's been holding me. Her arms are curl around my back, one on my upper back and the other on my neck. I blush a little at how long this has been going on for, but I don't stop. I don't stop for a second. In fact I do better than stop. I pull back just enough to surprise her with a long overdue kiss. She makes a quick, startled noise, but eases into it in a matter of seconds. She caressed my right cheek with her hand and I do the same to her, thumbing the faded scar there. The kiss is long and sweet and we've deserved it. After a moment more of just enjoying the closeness we share, she pulls away.

"Oh, Lars, I…" She stops, trails off, eyes wide. "You're…y-you're pink."

I jump, them remember that she's true. "Oh, yeah…forgot about that detail…" I chuckle nervously, my hands falling to her waist. She just stares, shocked and confused. "It's…a very long and confusing story that I don't fully understand myself, but…how much did Steven tell you?"

"Just that you were in space and alive and being helped by some friends." She said, looking worried. "Oh my god, why is there a scar on your eye?"

Lars rolled his eyes, "Figures." I then targeted my attention back at Sadie, moving to hold her hands in mine. "Look, I lot happened up there and I'm not planning on lying or sugar-coating anything. I…um…well, I died."

"You died?" Sadie asked, wide-eyed and teary. "You-you died? But how? Y-you're here talking to me and…are you a ghost o-or a dream?" She's crying and I use my cape to dry away the tears as well as the ones dripping down my own cheeks.

"This isn't a dream, Sadie. I'm real. I bashed my head in on a rock and Steven…resurrected me? I'm still not sure how it worked, but he cried on me and now I'm not dead and I'm here and…and…" I sob and kiss her again. "I'm alive and I missed you so fucking much."

"Lars." She smiles through another sob, hugging me again. I smile, embracing her happily. No more words need be said.

I pull her up, keeping her hand in mine as we walk toward the boardwalk. "I'll explain it all later. Tell me about Sadie Killer and the Suspects."


End file.
